Good Night, Sweet Baby
by samanddianefan10
Summary: In memory of the wonderfully talented Roger Rees. a short continuing story.
1. Chapter 1

As usual, Rebecca was the target of the jokes around the bar, not that she wasn't used to it, either. Not that she liked it, of course. But it was part of her life these days, and although there were many, many things she'd wished she could change about herself, for the first time in her life, she actually could say she had friends. Friends who, in their own, warped and twisted way, accepted her for who she was.

She was neurotic, insecure, and kind of always trying to pull a fast one in order to get ahead in life.

Whenever she'd had her moment of doubt (and there were many of those moments), Sam was the first one to take her aside, put his arm around her, and remind her that at least she wasn't Paul.

And then he'd try to get her into the sack.

But today was going to be different. Today was going to be the start of her new life, a better life...her own life.

It had been six months since she'd called off her wedding to Robin Colcord, a decision she'd often gone back and forth in regretting. He had money, all the money she could have wanted. He had wanted her, in his own way. But...she couldn't explain it. Perhaps spending time with friends who accepted her the way she was had taught her the importance of being true to herself, to create her own path in life, to never settle for anything less than what she wanted for herself.

Then again, perhaps it really was because she'd thought he was poor.

Who knew?

At any rate, she was going to treat herself to a day off work..she'd stopped in for a drink, was flirted with shamelessly by Sam, and then she took off for the day. It was going to be her day, that was for sure.

00000

"Hey guys, you know that they're having a tv coverage of the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated today," Cliff offered as he bought his best buddy Norm a beer.

"Really? Why didn't I know about that?" Sam scratched his head.

"Ah, you wouldn't. It was only revealed in the newest edition of tv guide. Which only hits newsstands later today, unless you're a member of a special, rare, and valuable insider's club which allows you all the access to today's news and thought-provoking headlines..."

"Cliff," Norm sat down his glass after readily sipping half of his beer.. "You're a mailman."

Everyone cracked up laughing, and Cliff just sat and pouted.

Sam grabbed the remote, and still chuckling to himself, turned on the tv in anticipation of seeing some hot babes on the tube.

"We interrupt this coverage to bring you a special news bulletin..."

"AWWWW!" came the chorus of protests from the bar patrons.

"Sheesh,'" Sam tried, eagerly trying to turn the channel to a different one. Realizing the batteries had died, he'd searched around behind the bar, trying to find a couple of extra batteries. Hair comb, check. Mirror, check. Mousse, styling gel...check batteries...

"Hey!" Carla shouted, getting the attention of the friends around the bar. "Check it out!" she pointed to the tv screen where an image of Robin Colcord now appeared.

Rebecca's ex fiancee, the one time extremely extremely extremely wealthy man who'd swept Rebecca off her feet, right out from under Sam's nose. The man whom Sam vowed he'd hate forever.

"In a late breaking twist, our sources reveal to us that corrupt tycoon millionaire Robin Colcord's plane has been discovered to have crashed shortly after takeoff. Medical personnel and police sources confirm he was the lone passenger on his private plane...neither he, nor his pilot or stewardess survive. I repeat...Robin Colcord has been killed in a plane accident...More on this late breaking news as we receive it..."

"Woody, pull the plug..." Sam nodded at his friend.

"Gee, Sam. Don't you think that's a bit callous? I mean he's already.."

Carla snapped at him. "The tv, you light haired, light headed doofus. Unplug the tv!"

"Oh, yeah. That's probably a good idea. Miss Howe did forget her purse..." Woody offered it to Sam, who, in shock, realized that Rebecca was likely headed back to Cheers at any minute to retrieve her forgotten purse. Which likely meant that she hadn't heard the news about Robin...

which meant that he would have to break the news to her.

On this day he kinda wished he were still a drinking man. This was going to be a hard day for him, but what it would do to Rebecca...

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Rebecca, as Woody had predicted, returned to gather her purse. She was laughing, obviously oblivious to the situation which would undoubtedly devastate her, to say the least.

"Here I am, off to my brand new life, well, as far as a week's pay from Cheers will allow..and silly Rebecca forgets her purse," she laughed as she approached the bar.

All eyes were on Sam, to see how he would handle the situation. "Look, sweetheart, I think you'd best come with me to my office..."

"Geesh, Sam! Don't you ever have anything else on your mind? We tried it..it didn't work for us...I've moved on...can't you?" she laughed. "now hand me my purse and I'll just be on my way..."

"Rebecca..." he looked down. "Just come with me, okay?"

Now she was getting irritated. "Look, buster, save your joking for your barflies! I just want my purse! Now give it to me!" she grabbed at it, but he placed it behind the bar.

"Come on, don't do this. Just come with me..you'll understand why in a minute."

"Listen, you knucklehead...I'll not only climb over this bar, but when I get my purse I'll clobber you with it...just give it to me!"

"I..I can't do this. Carla...you handle this, okay?" he pleaded, to which his very petite friend shook her head.

"Uh-uh. I ain't touching this one with a wooden bat. I'd just as soon sleep with..." she looked around, saw Paul and Cliff and Norm sitting at the bar. Then she turned to Rebecca. "Becks...what Sam's trying to say- and he's doing a terrible job of it- what he's trying to say is that Robin Colcord is dead."

Everyone looked at Rebecca, to see how she would react. True to form, her first instinct was denial. She laughed. "Come on now, Carla. I expect shenanigans from Sam...but you, too? I thought I'd at least have your support..you know...woman to woman."

Carla said nothing, to which Rebecca raised her eyebrow. "Woman to woman...come on, Carla. I set you up. I called myself a woman, and you're supposed to make fun of me, insinuate that I'm a man, or have no womanly skills in the sack...come on now, don't let me down."

"Robin...your sweet baby...is dead. Gone. Dead as a door nail...kind of like your love life. He's gone."

Rebecca just laughed.

"I tried, Sam." Carla shrugged and walk away. "Some people you just can't get through to."

"Let me try, Sam. I have been told I have a way with words," Woody offered. Everyone stared at him in disbelief. "Okay, that's what my mama always told me."

"Just get on with it, Woody," Sam whispered.

"Miss Howe...you think of me as a friend, right?"

"Of course, Woody." She rubbed his head. "Like a little friend whom you want to feed, take for walks, and shower with all sorts of affection..."

"If I didn't know any better," Cliff chimed in. "I'd say she's calling Woody here a dog."

"What man ain't?" Carla retorted.

"Miss Howe...you know I don't lie. I think I don 't. Unless you mean if I don't lie down, which I do. In that case I do lie, but when it comes to telling stories, I don't lie. Do you follow me..."

Rebecca just stared at him, and then Woody broke down in tears. "I can't do this Sam."

Sam hugged his friend. "Go lay down in my office. Take all the time you need."

"I'm sorry, Miss Howe. I'm real sorry about Mr. Colcord. He was a real nice..., no, he wasn't that nice, come to think of it. He was real good at tips...wait, as rich as he was, he never left me a dime in tips! He had a way of making us feel like family...only if your family was always looking down at you like they were better than you. Rot in hell, Mr. Colcord. I'm sorry about your loss, Miss Howe." Woody sniffed and went into Sam's office.

"Come on, you guys!" Rebecca laughed. "Good one, all right! Ha ha you fooled me. Robin, my ex fiancee is dead. Haha. The joke's on me. Just give me my purse, Sam..."

He tossed it to Carla, and then he went over to his friend. "Sweetheart...we're not playing a joke. We saw it on the news...something about a plane crash...Norm, Carla, turn on the tv, will ya?"

And an announcer was speaking, and the headline flashed across the bottom of the screen, announcing the death of Robin.

All eyes were on Rebecca, expecting reality to finally sink in. There was no way she could deny what was going on now.

She once again started laughing. Shaking her head, she just smiled. "That Robin...he remembered!"

Sam scratched his head. "Come again?"

"Silly Sam! Robin remembered this was the six month anniversary of our parting ways. He wants me back, but was too shy to call me. So he used his money to get this..this..stunt...on the news. All he wanted to do was get my attention. That Robin...flowers would have worked. Men, right Carla?" she laughed as she finally grabbed her purse.

"Well...tootles...or, as Robin would say...cheerio!" Rebecca waved, and went off to enjoy her day off.

Her friends back at the bar stared on in disbelief.

"You gotta go to her, Sam," Carla told him.

"What? You heard her! She thinks it's a joke, a prank that Robin pulled. If she don't want to believe he's dead, then maybe we should just let her be..."

Carla put down the two beers she was carrying and grabbed Sam by the hair. "Listen to me, Sam. I don't like Rebecca..that's not much of a secret. But a woman like that...she's in denial. When it hits her...it's gonna hit her hard. I don't know about you, but I got kids at home, and I don't want to be behind the wheel on a street she's driving on when reality sinks in, you got me?"

"Ow! Ow! Let go! Okay, okay. You made my point. Carla you wanna..."

"I got the bar. You just go to her. Don't let her do anything stupid..."

"Like drive, right. Gotcha."

"I meant don't let her do anything stupid like sleep with you. Grief sex can be a turn on for some girls."

She saw Sam briefly smile, then he shook his head. "No, this isn't the time."

"Go, Sam!"

"Right."

And so Sam went out to find Rebecca. He didn't have to look too far. She was sitting in the driver's seat of her car parked in front of Cheers. Her head was down, he could hear two sounds. The song "You've lost that loving feeling" coming from her radio...and the other sound was Rebecca sobbing.

tbc


End file.
